Low antenatal turn up for pregnant women worries leaders|News

Masindi district leaders have expressed concern over the low turn up of pregnant women for antenatal services at different health facilities in the district.

Leaders were reacting over a report presented during a reproductive health meeting at the district health boardroom on Monday.

Statistics presented indicated that, health facilities registered 100% turn up of pregnant women for the first antenatal visit while only 42% turned up for the fourth visit.

Dr. John Turyagaruka, the district Health Officer, said that such a character should be fought against.

“We usually get a very good number of mothers during the first visit but by delivery time, the number is annoyingly so low. Where do these women go?” Dr.Turyagaruka wondered.

Turyagaruka said that the health ministry has now ordered that expectant mothers should at least attend eight antenatal visits contrary to the previous four. He said that it will give someone enough time to receive the necessary services.

“We mostly receive complaints that health workers mistreat mothers at health facilities and maybe that could be the cause of the reduction in numbers. We therefore appeal to health workers to be responsive all the time because it is your duty to offer the services,”Kiiza said.

Titus Ariyo, the district secretary for health appealed to all mothers to embrace attending antenatal saying that it helps the health worker to clearly assess what exact services the mother might need during delivery.

“Some women opt to give birth from home by the help of traditional birth attendants just because they missed going for antenatal services. That is very dangerous and risky. If one failed to attend, that should not be the reason of failing to seek for services during
delivery. There are some complex issues that the traditional birth
attendants cannot handle,”Ariyo said.